Amusement apparatus



.Oct. 20, 1925. 1,558,401 k R. SATO AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed July 28,-1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Fyj 9 INVENTBR a TO NEY AT R Oct. 20, 1925- R.sATo AMUSEMENT APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28. 1923 INVINTORATI'DRNIY WITNESS:

Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

nYU I SATO, or NYACK, NEW YoaK.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Application filed July 28, 1923. Serial No. 654,455. I

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RYUJI Saw, a subject of Japan, residing at Nyack, inthe county of Rockland and State of New York,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus and has particularreference to an apparatus of this class for use in amusement parks orlike places wherein a number of persons may compete for a prize andwherein the one showing the greatest amount of skill is declared thewinner.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an amusementapparatus wherein is employed a plurality of inclined cages having amanikin at one end and a basket at the other end of each, and separateoperating mechanisms operable from a counter for actuating therespective manikin to cause the same to kick a ball in the direction ofthe basket with an endeavor to de posit the same therein, the firstoperator to accomplish this being declared the winner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for indicating thewinner when the ball is deposited in the basket and a means forreleasing the balls after being trapped in the basket.

Another object of the invention is-the provision of an amusement devicewhich stimulates a great deal of excitement between the severaloperators, the same being simple in construction and cheap ofmanufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certainnovel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, theessential features of which are hereinafter fully described, areparticularly pointed out in the appended. claims, and are illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved amusement apparatus.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 2 2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View through one of the cages-takenon the line -l-' Ii of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the basket showing theelectric light circuit in diagram.

Referring more particularly to the draw ing, the reference numeraldesignates a single unit, any number of which may be arranged side byside to make up my amusement device in its entirety. The units 10 areidentical inconstruction, so it is'believed that a description of onewill suffice for the others. Each unit 10 comprises an inclined bottom11 rising from the rear end to the front end and being supported abovethe ground by suitable legs 12. Rising from the base 11 is a frame-work13, aboutwhich is secured a foraminated screen 14 to close the unit atits front and side walls thereby forming a cage 15, the rear wall ofsaid cage being open for a purpose to be explained. The cage 15 isformed with a pair of guide rails 16, secured to the base at the sides.of the cage, one of the rails 16 being curved inwardly at the lower end.of the cage as at 17 to form a pocket 18. Mounted at the open end ofthe cage is a manikin 19 of any suitable design but whereas a figure ofa man has been shown it is to be understood that a. figure of a womanmay be substituted therefor without departing from the spirit of theinvention. The manikin 19 is provided with a pivoted leg 20, and astationary leg 21, the said legs straddlingthe curved portion 17 of oneof the guide rails. The pivoted leg 20 has its foot disposed within thepocket 18, and is normally held in a rearward position by means of acontractile spring 22 having one end secured to the leg and the otherend to a portion of the frame 13. The stationary leg 21 is bolted orotherwise secured to the base 11 as at 23 so as to support the manikiuin a vertical or standing posture.

I employ an operating mechanism 24: for advancing the pivoted leg 20against the action of the spring 22 for imparting a force to a rubberball 25 normally positioned adjacent the foot of the pivoted legsufficient to drive the ball in a direction toward the front end of thecage. This mechanism includes a cable 26 trained over suitable pulleys27, and having one end secured to the underside of the foot of thepivoted leg as at 28, and the other end of said cable extending to thetop of a counter 29 at the front end of. the device, and provided with ahand grasp 30. From the structure de scribed it will be seen that asudden upward pull upon the hand grasp will cause the cable to move thepivoted leg in a forward ill direction against the tension of the springso as to kick the ball forwardly.

Supported at the front end of the cage is a wire basket 81 having ahinged bottom 32 normally held in a closed position by means of a springhinge 33. In operation of the several units it is the object to causethe manikin to kick the ball 25 into, the basket 31 by either deflectingit from the walls of the cage or by kicking it directly into the same.The spring hinge 33 is of suflicient tension to hold the bottom closedwhen the ball is trapped therein, but I eniploy a suitable releasingmeans "for permitting the ball to drop from the basket and gravitatedown the runway defined by the bottom 11 and guide rails 16, to thepocket 18 adjacent the pivoted leg it). The releasing means includes acable 34, trained over suitable pulleys 35 and having one end secured tothe bottom 32 of the basket near the front thereof. The other end of thecable is secured to a cross bar 36 having vertical sliding movement inthe front legs 12. hen it is desired to release a ball from the basketthe cross bar 36 is depressed by the foot so as to lower the bottomagainst the tension of the spring; hinge. It is ot course understoodthat the cable 34 of each unit is connected to the bar 36 so that allare operated simultaneously.

A suitable indicating means is included for determining the winner whena ball. has been trapped in a basket, and to this end I make use of anormally open switch 37 mounted on its pivoted bottom 32 of the basket.Each switch is in a circuit with an electric light 38 and a battery 39whereby the weight of the ball trapped in the hasket is sutficient toclose the switch 37 cansing its respective electric light to beilluminated.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it will be manifest that the manner of operation has beenclearly set forth and a further explanation of the same is not deemednecessary.

If desired the manikin and operating mechanism might be dispensed withand the persons competing take a position formerly held by the manikinswith an endeavorot kicking the ball into the basket. (it course in suchcase the proportions of the apparatus would be increased accordingly.

lVhile I have described what I deem to he the most desirable embodimentof my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be variedwithout in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, and Itherefore do not limit myself to the exact. details of constructionherein setforth nor to anything less than the whole of my inventionlimited only by the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed as new is 1. An amusement apparatus including aninclined table, a plurality of cages mounted above said table, basketssupported at one end of said cages, a manikin mounted at the other endof said cages, a ball normally positioned adjacent each of the manikins,and individual operating mechanisms for actuating said manikins to causethe same to kick the balls in the direction of said haskets.

2. An amusement apparatus including an inclined table, a plurality ofcages mounted above said table, baskets supported at one end of saidcages, a manikin mounted at the other end of said cages, a ball normallypositioned adjacenteach of said manikins, and individual operatingmechanisms for actuating the manikins to cause the same to kick saidballs in the direction of said has kets, indicating means for each ofsaid baskets operative upon the depositing of the balls in said basketsand a common means exlcriorly of said cages for releasing said ballstrom said baskets.

3. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a plurality of cageshaving an inclined bottom, a manikin mounted at the lower end of each ofsaid cages, a basket disposed at the other end of each of said cages, aball, and individual operating mechanism for actuating each of themanikins, to cause the same to kick said ball with an endeavor todeposite the same in said basket, the inclined bottom of said cagesserving as a runway for returning the balls to their normal positionadjacent the manikins, each basket having a hinged bottom for trappingthe ball therein, and a means for actuating said hinged bottoms torelease said balls therefrom and indicating means operative upon thetrapping of said. balls in said basket.

l. An amusement apparatus comprisii'ig an inclined runway, a cagemounted above said runway, a manikin mounted at the lower end of saidrunway and having a pivoted leg, means for holding said leg in arearward position, a ball normally positioned adjacent said pivoted leg,a basket mounted at the other end of said cage, and manipulating meansfor moving said piv oted leg in a forward direction to cause the same tokick said ball with an endeavor to deposit the same in said basket.

In testimony whereof I have aitixed my signature.

RYUJI .SATO.

